The Reality of a Dream
by DarkFairy207
Summary: Ariadne has three problems. 1. She is falling for Arthur. 2. She can't shake off feelings for Robert Fischer. 3. Fischer starts to remember her. Ariadne and Arthur, Ariadne and Robert. Not sure which couple I'll choose in the end Rated T just in case
1. Chapter 1

**This takes place after the movie Inception. To be honest I don't know which type of couple I will end up with right now, so I can't quite put a label on this story yet. All I know is prepare for either Ariadne and Arthur, or Ariadne and Robert. Either way, I shall try to make it all fluffy if I can. PLEASE REVIEW**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN INCEPTION, as much as I wish I did, alas, I don't. **

Their final job was over, done. As intense as it was, Ariadne felt completely at ease, happy, relaxed. Well, not completely relaxed. They were back in America, in L.A. to be exact, and the presence of a certain person had made her slightly uneasy. However, it would be a lie to deny that she was happy to be done with the mission.

She was pleased to see Cobb happy, at peace. He had been so upset, so lost in his past because of Mal, but she knew that as soon as he had his arms wrapped around his children he would truly be okay. Eames, as usual, was being, well Eames. The minute we made it past customs he informed us that he was headed towards Vegas, not surprising. As for Arthur… Her heart thudded. She couldn't, _wouldn't_, think about him at that moment, what she needed to focus on what the fact that she was receiving strange glances from Robert Fischer Jr. who was standing across the room waiting for his luggage.

"Be careful," A weary voice warned. She looked up to see the Point Man gazing at Robert suspiciously.

"What do you mean," she asked, though she had a fairly good idea what he was talking about.

"Sometimes, after a mission, the mark will see one of us and experience déjà vu. Most of the time they dismiss it, after all, it happens to all of us. However, sometimes the feeling is too strong and they pursue the feeling. If he comes to remember his dream to a full extent it could be dangerous for us," he informed her, giving her a sideways smile, one he often gave her when teaching her something. Little did he know that smile made her heart flutter. A teacher? Yes, he was. She always had, and would, see him as a mentor, but deep down she was beginning to see him as so much more.

"I don't think we need to worry about him. He'll have too much on his plate to pursue his suspicions," she reassured him with a slight smile.

"You're probably right," he shrugged, "Where are you staying tonight?" The question was sudden, and she realized she didn't actually know. She gave him a tight lipped smile and he immediately understood, "Care to put up with me for at least one more night?"

"Um…" She trailed off. Her rational mind was telling her that was a bad idea. Ever since that simple kiss, the kiss that was meant to mean nothing, she had felt a terribly strong connection to the man standing before her. If she stayed with him, even for the night, it could end badly for her emotional state. Unfortunately, her rational mind was not the one making decisions. "Sure," she grabbed the handle of her suitcase, tipping it until it sat comfortably on its wheels. He playfully held out his arm, being a gentleman as always, and she took it gladly. Before they reached the doors to exit the bustling airport someone caught her free arm.

"Wait," a boyish voice called to her. She whipped around, dragging Arthur with her, to see a pair of piercing blue eyes staring at her, his hand still resting on her arm. Too stunned to shrug it off she stood in silence. "I… I'm sorry, you just, you look so familiar," Robert stuttered, dropping his hand.

"Uh, well, I don't think we've met," she smiled apologetically, tightening her grip on Arthur's arm.

"Shall I go get us a taxi?" Arthur offered.

"I'll come with you,"

"Wait, please, at least let me talk to you for a minute," Fischer was practically begging at this point. He looked so confused, so child-like, Ariadne couldn't help but feel sympathetic.

"I'll be out in a minute," she told Arthur who nodded, slipping outside.

"I really am sorry, I just, I feel like I know you. It's been killing me ever since I got off the plane. I admit I don't really know what I want to talk to you about, I just, I don't know. It's so weird," he shook his head ashamedly. She had grown to know Robert in a way she didn't expect to. She knew most of his history and had seen him during his most vulnerable and emotional times. Never, however, had she seen him look so conflicted.

"It's okay," she reassured him, "I'm afraid, though, that I am sure I've never met you. I mean, I know who you are, I've seen your picture in the papers a few times, but I think you have me mistaken with someone else,"

"No, that's not it. This feels so different. When I saw your face I felt completely at ease, safe, it was the strangest thing. I felt as though some time ago, somewhere in my life, I had been in some sort of danger and you had saved me. I wanted to rush to you, hug you, thank you. The feelings I had were nearly over-powering. I honestly cannot explain them fully. I sound insane don't I," he bowed his head. The poor man looked as though he thought he was going crazy, and she could do nothing but encourage that theory. This made her feel incredibly guilty.

"Look, I wish I could help you figure this out, but I can't keep Arthur waiting out there forever. He won't be very happy with me if I do," she chuckled a little.

"Could I see you again? How long do you plan to be in town?" Robert asked with urgency.

"I don't know, a week at the most. I planned to take another plane to DC soon," she shrugged. Dammit, she thought to herself, how was she supposed to weasel her way out of this? Her feelings towards the distraught man in front of her were sympathetic; there was no way she was going to be able to live with herself if she left him like this. Against her better judgment she reached into his pocket and withdrew his phone. He was surprised by this but made no comment or any attempt to stop her.

"I put my number in your phone. I guess if you need… Call me if you want to talk some more. I really wish I could help more but I really need to go," she sighed, placing the phone back where it belonged. As she withdrew her hand it brushed against his and she felt him recoil. At first she thought it was because the short contact had made him uncomfortable, but when she looked into his eyes she saw otherwise. He had recoiled out of shock. In his deep blue eyes she saw a sudden flash of both electricity and affection. _Uh-oh… _She thought to herself.

There was no denying that Robert was an attractive man. It wasn't just because of his well defined features, his strong well built form, and those beautiful blue eyes that stunned her every time she looked into them, but it was also his manner. The elegant way he carried himself, with such authority and dignity, made it so that he couldn't help but be a bit of a turn on. He had the vibe of both power and an uncommon politeness that was hard to find in the male species. However, he was the last person on the earth she could ever show interest in. The stakes were high as it was, and so she was forced to put on her poker face. She quickly muttered a good-bye before yanking her suitcase harshly out the doors. The warm air hit her and she found it refreshing.

"Are you okay?" Arthur asked, joining her by her side.

"I'm fine,"

"You look as though you've seen a ghost," instead of the light tone he had adopted earlier, he sounded concerned.

"I think Robert remembers me. Well, kind of. He is completely confused and has no idea what he is talking about, but he knows he has seen me before. He wants to meet up with me before I leave town,"

"And you said no right?" Arthur raised an inquisitive eyebrow. She grimaced slightly, "You said yes. Okay, fine, we can work with this, just give me a moment to think this through," his fingers flickered to his temples.

"I'm so sorry Arthur," her brow furrowed with worry.

"It's fine, really. Okay, no it's not completely fine, but I can help fix this," he promised her. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it lightly. Knowing Arthur it was purely a comforting friendly gesture, but the contact of their hands was sending her heart in a frenzy and a blush to her cheeks. His palm was warm and soft against hers. To her disappointment he released his grasp in order to wave down a taxi.

**I thank you quite kindly for reading. I do very much hope you enjoyed it and would be so kind as to review this. So please, for the love of Inception, REVIEW MY STORY! Anyway, if I receive any sort of positive feedback I shall continue my story and add another chapter as soon as possible. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to those who read and reviewed my story. Please enjoy this next chapter and review!**

'**~*~'**

As Arthur filled the trunk with their suitcases Ariadne couldn't help but look through the glass doors of the airport. Robert was still standing in the same place he had when she had left him. He had this phone to his ear and for a split moment she panicked that he might be calling her. However, when her phone didn't ring and he began to talk she relaxed. His eyes flickered to hers and a slight smile twitched the corners of his lips as he continued to talk. Her brow furrowed curiously as his gaze moved to somewhere behind her. He followed his eyes to see that he was looking at the taxi driver, who also had his phone out. _What was he doing? _

"Are you ready to go?" Arthur interrupted her thoughts.

"Huh? Yeah, I thinks so," her eyes narrowed at Fischer who was waving at her pleasantly. She raised her hand slightly as an awkward wave goodbye before climbing into the car. Arthur shut it before climbing into the seat on the other side.

"Take us to…"

"I'll be taking you to the Redbury Hotel," the accented voice of the cab driver announced.

"Pardon me?" The Point Man looked completely bewildered.

"Someone called in; they have set up a reservation for you at the Redbury. You each get your own room, generous friend you got there,"

"What was his name?" Ariadne choked.

"Didn't give me one, said you would know who it is,"

"Fischer," she muttered under her breath. Arthur raised his eyebrows.

"You think it was Fischer…" It wasn't a question, "Okay so maybe we have a slight problem,"

"Can't we just cancel the reservations?" She asked hopefully.

"We could, but I don't see why we should. The Rebury is an expensive hotel, and we both get our own rooms. We might as well enjoy ourselves. Besides, it doesn't matter, he obviously has some sort of interest in you and at this point, all you need to do is direct his interest away from your familiarity. So you either need to piss him off and make him leave you alone out of hatred, or…" he trailed off slightly, cringing a bit.

"Or what?"

"Well, the way he was looking at you… Romantic interest would work as well as making him hate you. As long as he is distracted," he shrugged.

"So you're suggesting that I flirt with him?"

"If you want. I think it's a more realistic approach since you aren't exactly very good at making people angry at you. Even Cobb couldn't stay upset with you when you invaded his personal dreams. Of course, it could be interesting watching you try to be a bitch," he chuckled at the thought. She however, was not humored. He wanted her to flirt? Deep down she wished that he would completely decide against it, object to it, hate the idea. At least then she could keep believing that he had some sort of feelings for her like she had for him. However, she had to admit, he was practical. She wasn't good at, nor did she ever want to be good at, making people hate her. Then again, she also wasn't confident in her ability to flirt.

"I don't think I'd be good at this either way," she admitted softly.

"You'll be fine, now let's just enjoy ourselves okay? This will be easy compared to the inception," he patted her leg. She nodded, with a forced smile.

She had to admit, Robert had good taste in hotels. The Redbury didn't look like much on the outside, but the inside was absolutely breathtaking. Everything looked old, like an antique. She was almost afraid to touch anything in fear that it would shatter, even though she knew none of it was as old as it appeared. Arthur looked around appreciating as if they were in an art gallery rather than the lobby of a hotel.

"Hello what can I do for you?" An overly polite woman asked as they approached the counter.

"Um… Well… A friend of ours…"

"Someone called in reservations for us. We aren't sure what names we would be put under though," Arthur interrupted. The woman looked him over approvingly, she pushed a strand of curly blonde hair behind her ear and smiled.

"Yes, a man called in about a half hour ago. He said he would drop by in about an hour to pay for your stay here. You must be Ariadne and that makes you Arthur," she said his name with an overdramatic sweetness. He didn't seem to notice. Ariadne, on the other hand, most definitely did. She scowled. She suddenly got an idea, she linked her arm through Arthur's who thought nothing of the simple gesture, and leaned in to whispered,

"Quick, give me a kiss," he immediately understood the private joke between them and gave a short chuckle as a response before giving her a quick peck on the lips. This wiped the smile off the annoying receptionist.

"It was worth a shot," he laughed, she joined in, careful to hide the blush that had begun to fill her cheeks.

"Yep, I'm Arthur. When he arrives please thank him for us," he grabbed the two room keys that the woman had slid across the counter.

"What was that about?" He asked once we were in the elevator.

"I couldn't help it. The receptionist was trying to hit on you and seeing her face when you kissed me was hilarious," she giggled at the memory.

"She was hitting on me?"

"She was totally checking you out! How did you not see that?"

"I don't know; guess I haven't really paid attention to woman in quite a while. Work had taken over my life for a great length of time so I never really had time for that sort of thing. Besides, she wasn't really my type," he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Relief flooded through her, knowing that he hadn't been interested.

When they reached their floor they were pleasantly surprised to find that their rooms were right next to each other.

"Would you like me to help you settle in?" He offered.

"No thank you," she shook her head, closing her door behind her before he could say anything else. She sank down, pressing herself against the door. Both happiness and disappointment swan through her thoughts. She was happy that they had received separate rooms because that meant it would be easier for her to control herself. She was disappointed for nearly the same reason she was happy. Then came the matter of Robert.

"Nope, not going to think about any of that right now," she said aloud. She was in a gorgeous hotel with an absolutely stunning room and at that moment, that was all she really wanted to focus on. Normally, she would unpack her things first, but a childish impulse took over and with an exhilarated laugh she flung herself onto the wonderfully large bed. She sunk deep into the maroon comforter, hugging the pillows to her cheek. She hadn't had a chance to truly relax, to sleep, to dream. Without even bothering to take off her shoes she curled up and slept, enjoying a peaceful non-work related dream.

_Bzzzzz Bzzzzz_… Ariadne woke to the sound of her cell phone buzzing in her pocket. Still tired she took it out and found that she had a new text message. She debated whether or not to go back to sleep or look at it and finally decided that she would at least read it. The number was unfamiliar, peaking her curiosity.

_**You said if I needed to talk I could call, but I figured a text would suffice for now. Please meet me in the hotel lobby in one hour, I know why I remember you now. **_ The text said. She sat up abruptly, alarmed. He remembered? Not realizing how messy her appearance was she ran to Arthur's room, knocking on the door urgently. The sickening panic that was boiling her stomach didn't allow her thoughts to wander when he came to the door looking as disheveled as she was. He had removed the coat and vest of his three piece suit and the top five buttons of his shirt had been undone, leaving the top half of his chest partially exposed. Arthur's normally neatly combed hair was unkempt and messy. Overall the look was completely sexy but she couldn't think about that.

"Read," she shoved the phone into his hands and pushed past him into his room, an identical match to her own. He rubbed his eyes, apparently having had fallen asleep also.

"Don't panic yet," he told her, his eyes still on the tiny screen of her phone, "He says he remembers but he might not,"

"What if he does?" She inquired. He released a long sigh.

"I need to think about this Ariadne, because to be honest I don't know at the moment. We performed an inception, a far more dangerous job than I've ever attempted. We've had marks remember us in the past but the situation never really made a difference because we were always there to receive information. If they remembered us, well it didn't always matter. We had the information, we had been paid, and most of the time we can convince them that they are wrong. Robert is powerful though, if he actually does remember we could have problems with him and the whole inception could be a waste,"

"Why does he only remember me? He saw you and had no clue who you were,"

"As I said before, he seemed to have an interest in you. If he found you attractive in any way during the dream it would make you more memorable to him in the real world," he explained.

"Great," she groaned, falling backwards onto his bed.

"Are you going to go?"

"Huh?"

"Are you going to meet him in the lobby?"

"I don't know, should I?"

"It would be best,"

"Fine," Ariadne sighed in defeat, knowing he was right.

"Would you like me to contact Cobb about this?" Arthur asked.

"Why?"

"Well, I figured, maybe he could help. Besides, I thought maybe…" He hinted slightly. She raised her eyebrows,

"You think I see him like that?" She sat up.

"You spent more time with him than anyone, in a way you sort of clung to him. I figured that it was a possibility," he shrugged.

"Cobb is a good man, but I clung to him because I thought he needed me. When I realized everything about Mal, well I knew he needed help. We were nothing more than friends though," she shook her head.

"Oh," was all he said, a small bit of blood filling his cheeks. Was he embarrassed about something? "Do you want me to talk to him though?"

"No, don't bug him. He needs to be with his kids and to be happy. I shouldn't even be bugging you about this, you should be able to relax after all that,"

"This is part of my job, and you are my friend, I wouldn't let you deal with this alone, it's too stressful for one person,"

"Thanks," she smiled warmly.

"By the way, before you go, I suggest you brush your hair," he teased, opening to door for her. She raised her fingers to her head and found a mess of curls sitting atop her head.

"You could use a comb yourself," she snickered. He gave out an amused laugh, closing the door behind her. _Well, _she thought to herself, _I guess I should get ready. _

**I still have no idea which couple will come out in the end. I am just going to keep writing and see which of the guys wins her over. For once, I'm as clueless about the ending of this story as my readers are. Please REVIEW! I'll update soon. **


	3. Chapter 3

**And I am back! Hope you enjoy this next chapter. I added some romantic stuff in here, moved the story along a bit more, so I hope you enjoy. And please, please. PLEASE! REVIEW! Oops, I'm getting carried away! Anyway, enjoy!**

'~*~'

Ariadne didn't realize that she had spent nearly forty minutes picking out an outfit. She kept telling herself it really didn't matter what she wore but this man was so high class that she felt insignificant next to him dressed in anything casual. She had brought along a few nice dresses but most were too formal. In the end she decided on tightly fitting black leggings and a maroon dress that reminded her of a blouse that had been made too long. Thankfully she had a pair of dark red heels that were a shade deeper than her dress. The heels toned her legs and made her taller. She didn't bother to apply much make up and she kept her hair simple.

She entered the lobby five minutes early hoping that she would have time to calm her sudden nerves; however she didn't get that luxury.

"Ariadne," the familiar boyish voice filled her ears. Robert stood, his eyes moving over with surprise. She couldn't help but allow her own eyes wander over him. He was wearing a striking light gray suit, white button up shirt, and a blue tie that brought out the colour of his eyes.

"Robert," she nodded.

"You look beautiful," he murmured.

"Thank you," her cheeks turned a deep shade of red. "You look amazing too," she admitted.

"I thought we could take a walk," he suggested. She looked down at her heels and grimaced. Of course she had worn heels, would have been too easy to wear comfortable shoes. Not wanting to change she gave a short smile and a nod.

The sun had long gone down, leaving the sky a dark blue. Although not visible, Ariadne could almost picture the sky littered with stars. Instead, all she could see was the tiny sliver of the moon peering out from behind a cloud. Although nighttime, it was far from dark, but she forced herself to ignore the lights, wanting to get lost in the shadows.

"It's a beautiful night isn't it," Robert commented lightly, his gaze also directed upward.

"Where are we walking to?" She wondered.

"I don't know," he shrugged, his eyes still locked on the sky. "To be honesty I have no idea what I'm doing,"

"Well how about we start walking," to not only his surprise, but to hers as well, she took his hand and began to pull him alone. His finger interlocked with hers and she found it to be comfortable, like his hand had been made for hers.

"Do you like your room?" He asked.

"It's gorgeous,"

"I'm glad you like it,"

"I hate to be a mood killer, but why did you want to see me again?" She wondered. He gave her a sidelong glance, his eyes soft as they met hers.

"I remembered, I remembered where I have seen you before. I had a dream about you. That must sound crazy, I feel crazy just saying it, but I know that I've had a dream about you. I can't remember anything else about it, except your face. I wanted to see you again because, and I beg you do not think of me badly, but I felt like the dream was meant to bring me to you. You are supposed to be part of my life, I just don't know how yet," Fischer looked ashamed of everything he had just said. Ariadne had never taken him as one to believe in fate or prophetic dreams, but in the past few hours he had begun to do a lot of things she didn't expect. As weird as it all was she couldn't help but feel relieved. He had already drawn conclusions about the dream which meant he would hopefully not try too hard to dig into it.

"I don't think you're crazy," she squeezed his hand, which she almost forgot she had still been holding. The couple received a few stares as they continued their walk, most were directed at Robert who they probably recognized. Some of the stares were focused on her, curiosity springing forth by the appearance of the simple girl dating the wealthy man next to her. Of course it wasn't a date; she had fallen for Arthur, not Robert. She was only holding his hand as a friendly gesture, right?

"You don't?" His voice was hopeful, as if her opinion was the most important thing in the world.

"It's strange, but you aren't crazy,"

"That means a lot to me. I've been feeling so odd all day, and it's all because of you," he sighed, then suddenly added, "Not that it's a bad thing,"

"Robert, I…" She trailed off. What did she want to say? That his comment had warmed her? That his hand was sending a flurry of butterflies in both her stomach and chest? That every time those gorgeous pools of blue looked her way she felt dizzy. No, she couldn't say any of that because truthfully, it frightened her. She was so used to having her affections directed at Arthur that she was afraid that if she gave over to anyone else she would miss a possible chance with him. So why did she have the sudden urge to kiss Robert?

"Is something wrong?" He asked when she didn't continue her sentence. He noticed her conflicted expression and the frown that had the corners of her mouth turned down. She remained silent, her thoughts still elsewhere. He stopped and turned her to face him, "Did I say something wrong? If so I apologize…"

"I wonder what it would feel like to…" she started to say, more to herself then to him, when she suddenly snapped back to reality. His face was dangerously close to her. She could smell the warm yet refreshing scent of his aftershave and before she could stop herself she inhaled deeply.

"What do you wonder?" His voice was low.

"I…" She bit her lower lip, unable to decide what to say next. Seemed as though it didn't matter because before she could say anything else something consumed Robert and caused him to press his lips to hers. They both were in shock, but neither dared pull away. Ariadne felt as though someone had set her skin on fire and giving over to her sudden desires she began to kiss him back. Robert was polite as ever as his lips explored hers, keeping his hands on the small of her back, not allowing them to travel lower. She was grateful for this. Her fingers entwined themselves in his incredibly soft brown hair and gently pulled him closer, leaning her body into his.

"Would you go to dinner with me tomorrow," he managed to say breathlessly between each kiss. She pulled away slightly, their faces only inches apart.

"You mean like… Like a date?" Once again she bit her bottom lip, a habit she never realized she had.

"Yes,"

"I don't know if I should, I mean, we just met," she knew it was a terrible excuse, especially considering what she had just done.

"Please," he pleaded, "I need to see you again,"

"Well I…" The sudden vibration of her phone startled them both, immediately cooling them off. She checked the number and felt incredibly awkward all of a sudden.

"Hello?" She said, giving Robert an apologetic look as she walked off a few feet.

"Is everything okay? With Fischer I mean?" Arthur asked with a serious tone, all business as usual.

"Uh, everything is fine,"

"Are you able to talk at the moment? If I interrupted I can hang up," he told her.

"No, I can talk, I was just about to walk back actually," she gazed at Robert who was leaning against a nearby building, his head resting against the wall, his eyes closed.

"What exactly does he remember?"

"Nothing, we're okay. He knows he has dreamt of me, but he has no idea what happened in the dream, or even what type of dream it was. He think I'm… Well it's hard to explain," she laughed awkwardly.

"Thank goodness," she could almost see the lines on Arthur's forehead smoothing away with relief.

"I'll stop by your room before I go back to my own. I have to go though, I don't want him to think something is wrong," she told him, hanging up before Arthur had a chance to say good-bye. "Sorry about that," she apologized, returning to Fisher's side.

"Don't apologize," he shook his head, his eyes still closed.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, better than fine. Ariadne, I think I like you, a lot," he admitted sheepishly. She was thankful for his unopened eyes as her face filled with blood.

"I think I like you too," she said before she could stop herself. What was she doing? What about Arthur?

"You never gave me an answer, about dinner tomorrow night," he reminded her, finally pushing himself away from the wall to stand in front of her.

"Yes, yes I'll go," she smiled. He returned her grin and took her hand.

"I wish I had more time tonight to talk, but I'm afraid it's time to take you back," he sighed contentedly.

They walked back mostly in silence, enjoying each other's company. As before they were met with a few stares. No one thought of them as unusual or disgusting, but more curious than anything. Although she was dressed nicely, there was no doubt that she was not in the higher class of society. Just the way she awkwardly walked in her heels gave her away. Robert, on the other hand, obviously was very rich and a few people looked at him with recognition. Mix that with a nearly ten year age difference and you have a rather odd couple.

Finally they reached the hotel and said their good-byes. Before parting he planted a swift kiss on her lips and disappeared. She waited in the lobby for a few moments, composing herself, before she made her way to Arthur's room. She was surprised to find him in the same state he had been before she left.

"Apparently you didn't take my comb suggestion," she smirked, walking past him, sitting on his bed once more.

"So what happened?" He demanded not unkindly.

"Wait, before the interrogation takes place let me take these dreaded things off," she winced, removing her heels. As short as the walk was, it had seriously killed her feet. "Remind me to never wear these again," she tossed them to the side.

"Here, let me help," he seated himself in a chair in front of her, gesturing for her to place one of her feet on his lap. She hesitantly complied. To her utter pleasure he began to give her a massage, his skillful fingers pressing into her sore foot.

"Oh my god," she muttered, closing her eyes. He chuckled softly.

"So what happened?" He repeated the question.

"We went for a walk and talked mostly," she shrugged, then going on to explain his dream theory of her.

"Never figured him to be the type to believe in that sort of thing, of course, then again, people always hide surprises," the Point Man said as he had her switch her feet.

"I thought the same thing. Robert is a lot different than I would have thought him to be. Anyway, he wants me to go to dinner with him tomorrow night,"

"Dinner?" Arthur raised an eyebrow, he said the word teasingly.

"Yes dinner," she lowered her voice in attempt to mockingly mimic him. Her failure sent them both into laughter.

"So he does like you," he said with more seriousness.

"Yeah," she bit her lip again, feeling an uninvited blush crawling to her cheeks. He noticed this.

"You're not telling me everything are you?" It was meant to be more of a question but came out as an accusation.

"Well… I…" she stuttered a bit. Did she really want to tell him?

"Ariadne, aren't we past this?" He sighed exasperatedly.

"Fine, we kissed. That's why I know he likes me, that's why he wants me to go to dinner with him tomorrow," she said nonchalantly. Arthur's hands froze.

"He kissed you?" The words escaped his mouth in a slight choke as if his breath had been caught in his throat.

"Yeah,"

"And you kissed him back?"

"Yes," she admitted awkwardly. She lifted her gaze to his face and her own breath was caught when she saw something she never thought she would see. Hurt, jealousy, sadness, these all filled his usually calm and handsome features.

"Why?"

"Well I assume he kissed me because he likes me, I thought we already established this," she tried to keep her voice even but failed.

"No, I mean, why did you kiss him?" He exaggerated "you" and "him".

"Because, I think I might like him too,"

"Oh," was all he said. The tension in the air suddenly became thick and uncomfortable. His warm hands were still resting on her ankle and she didn't have the guts to pull it back.

"Is something wrong?" She finally asked.

"No,"

"Arthur, aren't we past this?" She threw his words back at him.

"It doesn't matter, I should get some sleep, so should you," he gently lowered her foot to the ground and stood to get the door like he always did.

"Wait, something is wrong. It's written all over your face so will you just tell me already? I thought we were friends," she muttered the last part with a sad tone. He pivoted on his heel and looked down at her with his warm brown eyes.

"Friends," he repeated the word, the mere sound of it causing him pain. She stood up, closing the distance between him.

"Just tell me what's wrong okay?"

He opened his mouth as though he intended to say something but then instead of producing words, he kissed her.

**Well there you have it, I obviously cannot make up my mind. Both couples just seem so sweet! Ah well, I hope you enjoyed that chapter. PLEASE REVIEW. I really care about what you all think of my story so I wouldn't even mind one word reviews. Just say "Good" or "Bad" I would prefer something a little longer but at this point I'll take anything. Anyway, I'll update soon, and hopefully I will make up my mind! Love you all!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ready for the next chapter? Well here it is! As I wrote it I realized that the rating on this story may go up, I'm not sure yet. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. It's kind of short but oh well. PLEASE REVIEW!**

'~*~'

Technically that had been the third time she and Arthur had kissed. However, later in her life, she would always say that that was the first. Just as she remembered his lips were warm, comforting. Ariadne melted into the kiss. She had waited so long for it to be real and now it finally was. His hands cupped her face delicately as she was a flower rather than a person. It felt all so innocent, so new to them both. She broke away reluctantly.

"Why did you do that?" She asked.

"Why do you think?"

"Oh God Arthur," she cried out, falling back on his bed. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"I sort of explained why earlier, if you remember," he rubbed the back of his neck. It took her a moment to realize what he meant.

"You didn't tell me because you thought I liked Cobb?" she asked with slight quiver in her voice.

"You just spent so much time with him, and he cared about you so much I figured…" He trailed off, his gaze dropping to the floor.

"So you didn't tell me because you thought I cared about Cobb, but you decide to tell me when I told you I cared about Robert?" Her brow furrowed.

"Cobb is my friend. If you both decided to become involved, I would support you. Cobb has always been there for me so I would be there for him. Robert, on the other hand, I owe him nothing and Cobb never kissed you,"

"Apparently my life is just not meant to be simple," she complained to herself. What was she supposed to do now? Wasn't it bad enough that she was trying to come to grips with her feelings toward Robert? Now there was Arthur who after all this time had actually felt for her what she had felt for him. Had he mentioned this only an hour before her "date", she would have never had a problem. However, obviously that didn't happen.

"Ariadne, please don't go to dinner with Robert tomorrow, stay here with me,"

"Arthur I have to go, I already said I would," she sighed.

"Cancel,"

"You don't get it do you? I didn't kiss him just for fun. I'm going to dinner tomorrow because I want to!" She threw her hands in air in exasperation.

"Do you not have feelings for me?" For once the Point Man looked completely vulnerable. She was so used to his sly comments, his sophisticated and business-like tone, and his orderly appearance. Instead he looked completely disheveled both physically and emotionally.

"Yes," she said in a very soft voice. Their eyes locked. Feeling an overwhelming amount of emotion he rushed towards her and swooped her into another kiss. Part of her wanted to fight against it, telling herself that she needed to sort out her emotions before she became involved with either of the two men. However, her body wanted differently. Her skin burned hot where his hands touched her. His tongue slipped between her lips and dipped into her mouth. She held back a soft moan in response. Obviously he was more experienced with women than he had ever let on because he knew exactly how to kiss her, exactly how to lean his body into hers to make her want him even more.

"Arthur, I can't," she gasped as his lips traveled down her neck, leaving behind a warm tingling trail.

"It's okay," he tried to reassure her. His hand made its way up her shirt, cupping her breast.

"Arthur please," she complained, the pleasure nearly unbearable.

"Just relax," he muttered against her skin.

"No," she pushed him off her, her head suddenly clearing. She stumbled backwards, using the wall behind him as support. At first he looked angry, but moments later it melted away to shame.

"I'm so sorry, I never should have done that," he shook his head.

"It's not your fault…"

"Yes it is," he interrupted. She saw the pain that filled his features and suddenly felt terrible. "I'm really sorry Ariadne, that was impolite of me," without another word he turned and left.

**Hope you enjoyed! Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hope you enjoy this next chapter. Please review!**

'~*~'

Ariadne sat in Arthur's room for nearly an hour before deciding to return to her own. Before she knew what she was doing she grabbed the PASIV device and ran to her room. She knew that if she simply fell asleep she would dream of one of the two men and she wanted to dream peacefully and wake up without a pit in her stomach. Lying back on her bed she inserted the IV into her arm and as she drifted off she found herself sitting in one of her favorite Cafés in Paris.

The next day went by rather slowly. She had managed to return the PASIV device to Arthur's room by claiming to be his girlfriend and receiving a room key. She was slightly disappointed the blonde woman hadn't been there. For some reason it did not surprise her when he still wasn't back. She doubted he had gotten another hotel so he was probably wandering around somewhere deep in thought as usual.

She realized she had a serious problem. What was she going to do about Robert and Arthur? She couldn't have them both, she knew that. She was completely torn. Arthur was always so warm, so comforting, and she had had an attraction towards him from the moment they met. Robert on the other hand was so different. She had barely known him yet she knew for a fact that she deeply cared about him.

"Fuck," she cursed under her breath. She didn't normally use profanities but under the circumstances she didn't really care. The word rolled off her tongue, filling her mouth with a satisfied sweetness, as if it had relieved some of her built up emotions. Just as she was about to say it again she heard a knock on the door. She sucked in a sharp breath, it had to be Arthur. As her fingers closed around the knob of the door she put on a mask on contentment, refusing to let him see her vulnerable again.

"Hey there sweetheart,"

"Eames?" Her brow furrowed at the sight of the tall Englishman in front of her.

"Surprised?" He raised an eyebrow, chuckling a bit.

"Well, yeah, what are you doing here? Thought you were going to Vegas?"

"Mmm, yes well as tempting as that was I decided to stick around for a little bit. Where is Arthur? Knocked on his door and no one answered," his eyes flickered to the room behind her as if expecting him to be sitting in one of her chairs.

"I don't know where he is," her gaze fell downward.

"You're blushing," he laughed, "Did you guys finally get in bed or are you still flirting?"

"What are you talking about?" She demanded.

"Ah, so you guys haven't had sex yet. Is it because Arthur is still being a stick in the mud?"

"Eames…" She whined, wanting him to stop.

"What? Don't tell me you've lost your sense of humor too! Look, all I'm saying is that it's exhausting watching you guys constantly flirt when I know deep down you both just want in each others pants. I would have thought by now…" He shrugged.

"You never answered me, what are you doing here?" She quickly changed the subject.

"Can't I visit my friends without some ulterior motive?" An over dramatic amount of hurt filling his features.

"I don't think Arthur would consider you a 'friend'" She rolled her eyes.

"Alright, you got me, I saw you and Fischer talking at the airport and you looked concerned. I figured I would drop by and see what was going on. I may not take life very seriously, but I don't think it would benefit me very much if something went wrong. So what's going on?"With a heavy sighed Ariadne stepped to the side and invited him, relating to Eames everything that had taken place in the past twenty-four hours, excluding the part with Arthur of course.

"So you've fallen for _the mark_?" He exaggerated the last two words.

"It's not like I did it on purpose!"

"Well how does Arthur feel about this whole thing?" A slow smile twitched at Eames's mouth.

"He things that as long as Robert doesn't remember we should be okay," she knew this wasn't what he meant. He leaned back in his chair, arms across his chest as he waited for the answer he really wanted, "I don't know what you want me to say,"

"Oh come, you can't tell me that he is all peachy keen about you getting cozy with someone else. That man has had his eyes on you since day one,"

"Look, Eames, obviously if Arthur cares he is too late. I'm going to dinner tonight with Robert and if he doesn't like it he can blame himself for not making some sort of move earlier," She said rather angrily. He raised his hands defensively.

"Alright, alright, anyway, I'm going to be in town for a while to keep an eye on things until I know for sure my freedom isn't in jeopardy. You have to make sure Fischer's memory stays blurry. Oh, and take care of Arthur. He may be rather boring, but the poor guy just lost his girl to some rich dude," he told her, standing to leave.

"He's not just some rich dude," she muttered to himself. He smirked at her comment.

"Good-bye sweetheart," he smiled at her. What was with all these people showing up? Their job was supposed to be over, they were supposed to relax. Now she had the problem of not only dealing with Arthur and Robert, but also with Eames breathing down her neck watching in case she screwed this all up. Part of her did wish Cobb was there, he would at least have some sort of solution by now. Usually Arthur was the rational one, formulating plans, but he had allowed his emotions to poison his judgment and she knew he'd be no help now.

Deciding that she needed to relax Ariadne treated herself to a long bubble bath, allowing the hot water to sooth her muscles and relax her. When she was done she realized that she hadn't eaten in a long time. Her stomach growled as she clutched her abdomen. She would have ordered room service but she would have felt much too guilty having Robert pay for it. Grabbing her phone and wallet she went out in search of something quick to eat. Just as she was walking out the door of the lobby a male receptionist stopped her.

"Are you Ariadne?" He asked her. After she nodded he told her to wait, raching under the front desk and producing a boquet of roses.

"This was dropped off for you about a minute ago," he held it out to her. She scooped them up, resting them in her arms and inhaling their sweet fragrance. They were all a deep shade of red except for the three white roses in the middle. She found a small card and read it with a soft smile:

~**Please accept these roses and enjoy their sweet perfume. I am looking forward to seeing you tonight~ **It read. Her heart swelled in her chest. No one had ever bought her flowers before.

"Their beautiful," she mused.

"Would you like me to have them delivered to your room in a vase with water?" He offered.

"Yes, thank you," she reluctantly handed them back.

"I'll have that taken care of immediately," he nodded, carrying them off. She felt warm at the thought of spending her evening with Robert. She could almost visualize his gorgeous blue eyes looking at her affectionately. She giggled to herself, feeling giddy. Ariadne decided that after she ate she would come back and pick out what she would wear. Although intelligent, down-to-earth, and very mature, she was still a girl and the idea of love still made her smile stupidly and her chest ache.

**Hope you liked it! Will update soon, PLEASE REVIEW! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Time for Ariande and Robert's date. Hope you enjoy and please review!**

'~*~'

Robert picked her up near six o'clock that night. She was once again struck with how attractive the man actually was, especially in the black suit he wore with a button up white shirt, leaving the first few buttons undone. He complimented her on her own attire which consisted of a knee high strapless black dress with a white ribbon that wrapped around her waist and tied delicately in the back. A white cardigan covered her exposed shoulders. This time she went with black ballerina flats instead of the dreaded heels she had worn the night before.

"Do you like Italian?" He asked, opening the door to a large black limo, ushering for her to get in.

"I love it," she smiled. She had never been in a limo before and was in awe by how luxurious a car could really be.

"Thank you, by the way, for the flowers,"

"I'm glad you liked them," he moved himself closer to her, the heat of his body burning through her clothes.

"You don't live in America do you?" Robert suddenly asked. She eyed him with curiousity.

"What makes you think I don't?"

"Every so often, and it's something that is very hard to hear, you speak a word with a slight accent. It's very subtle suggesting that you either haven't lived in other country long, or you were originally born in a different country and moved here. My guess is that you were born here, and then left,"

"I attend a school in Paris," she hadn't even realized that an accent had trickled into her speech.

"So I was right," he smirked.

"Well you don't have to look so smug about it," she playfully punched him in the arm, chuckling.

"So what do you do for a living or are you a full time student?"

"I'm an Archite…" She stopped suddenly. What was she doing? "I mean, yeah, I'm a full time student," she prayed he wouldn't notice the slip. Apparently her prayer was denied.

"You're an architect?" He raised a surprised eyebrow.

"Well no, I mean, I might want to be someday. I like to design things, buildings, places, it's all fascinating to me," she shrugged sheepishly. Ariadne was afraid that this would be a turn off since, well, wanting to be an architect wasn't the sexiest of all career choices.

"So you are as smart as you are beautiful?" Robert brushed her cheek softly with the back of his hand, sending a shiver throughout her body.

"Do you mercilessly flatter all the women you take on dates?" She asked.

"Only when they deserve it, not that there have been many women to flatter in my life," she shrugged almost casually.

"What do you mean?" She refused to believe it was because women weren't attracted to him.

"I normally don't have time for that sort of thing and to be honest I don't find the company of brainless super-models as appealing as the many other men in similar economic situations. When you are wealthy people tend to stereotype you as greedy, self-centered, and a man who bedded many women. It's a bit ridiculous to be honest," he sighed.

"I'm sorry," she rested her head on his shoulder and held his hand with both of hers. "When you said you normally don't have time for women… Well, how do you have time for me?" she asked in a low voice.

"You are different, I make time for you," he murmured into her hair, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

When they finally arrived at the restaurant they were almost tempted to not go in. They had comfortably cuddled next to each, purely enjoying the warmth their bodies shared, the steady rise and fall of their chests which had both fallen into synchronization, and their rapid heartbeats that fluttered like the wings of a hummingbird. These simple things had them both completely relaxed and comfortable. However, the minute the door was opened for them the thought of food entered their thoughts and caused their stomachs to growl greedily. Taking each other's hands they went inside.

They were seated at a table in the shadowy corner of the room by Robert's request. Their main source of light was provided by a single candle burning happily in the center of the table. In the end Ariadne ordered a seafood pasta and Robert decided on a creamy mushroom and cheese stuffed ravioli.

"Thank you for joining me this evening. To be honest I didn't think you would come," Robert said once the waitress had left, leaving them to their own thoughts and each other.

"Why did you think that?"

"Because of how rude I was yesterday. Looking back I realized I should not have kissed you so suddenly without knowing for sure that you wanted me as much as I did you. We had barely spoken and I was moving much too fast. For that I am sorry," he apologized with sincerity.

"Please don't be sorry. I wanted you to do it and it's not as if I just stood there, I kissed you back remember?" She entwined her fingers with his, their hands resting onto the table cloth.

"Do you think we could work? You and I? I want us too, but I know these things take time and effort and while I am willing to do anything, I need to ask you if you would at least want to try," His icy eyes shimmered in the light of the small flame. There was the question, now what would be her answer? If she said yes, then she couldn't be with Arthur. If she said no, she couldn't be with Robert. It came down to who she wanted more, and deep down, she didn't know which she felt more strongly for.

"I want to, but I am unsure if I should," she admitted. Disappointment replaced his soft smile.

"What's wrong?"

"I want to tell you the truth Robert, though I'm sure you won't want to hear it," she bit her lower lip.

"I'd rather be broken by honesty than be built by lies," he told her.

"Fine," she sighed, "I don't know if I can be with you because although I like you, I like someone else too,"

"Who?"

"You've met him once, Arthur, I was with him at the airport. It's not that I care for him more then you, it's just that I don't know whom to choose," she realized how pathetic she sounded but it was too late to take back her words.

"Oh, I see. I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I don't feel jealousy at this moment, but I will say that I will wait if you wish me to. You don't have to decide tonight, I understand your predicament and I respect you for admitting it to me," he reassured her with a stunning smile. The more and more he talked and fixed his remarkable eyes on her the more she wanted him. There was something so easy yet exciting about her relationship with Robert. Arthur, on the other hand, was unpredictable and kept her on her toes at all time. All these qualities made both men equally attracted to them. The problem she faced was that when she was with Robert, she wanted him more, when she was with Arthur, she then wanted _him _more.

"You've left me as you sometimes do," Robert mused.

"Hmm?"

"Whenever you delve deep within your thoughts you leave the shell of your body behind. It's interesting to watch," he laughed. She blushed deep violet, embarrassed by her wandering mind.

**The reason why I ended it there is because I wanted to update my story before I turned in for the night, which I need to do right now. Thus the sudden cut-off. I'll update soon, please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here is the next chapter! I hope you like it! PLEASE REVIEW!**

'~*~'

Suddenly their food arrived. They ate for the most part, in silence, but not awkwardly. It was another moment when they knew they didn't need words to express that they were happy or enjoying being with one another. Ariadne felt as ease, comfortable. Had she ever felt this way with a man? Once they were finished they got back into the limo. She expected him to take her back to her hotel but she found that they were driving the opposite direction.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"You'll see, it's a surprise," he smirked. As much as she wanted to she decided not to bug him about it. For some reason she figured that if she begged him to tell her he would receive amusement from it, and she just couldn't have that.

"Okay," was all she said, taking his hand in hers. She flipped it over so that his palm was facing upwards and began tracing the lines. Her fingertip just barely caressed his skin. He let out a content sigh, settling into his seat and closing his eyes. Without much thought she brought his hand to her face, pressing it's warmth against her cheek. She gently kissed each finger, moving her way up his arm and to his shoulder. She felt him moan softly when her lips moved to his neck. He felt as though she had made his skin come alive. No woman had ever had this effect on him. He wanted to pull her into a kiss, to wrap his arms around her, but he was afraid that if he moved he would break the spell she had placed on him. Her soft and gentle lips moved upward, tracing his jaw line. Although her mouth was hot her breath was cool and it felt nice against his heated skin.

"You're so perfect," she muttered as she kissed his forehead. By this point she didn't know what had happened to the sane rational Ariadne would normally be sitting politely with her hands folded on her lap. She honestly didn't care though. She liked the way his skin felt again her lips, she liked the way his body reacted to her touch. She kissed each eyelid, then his nose, then the corner of his mouth, and then, to his relief his lips.

They felt much like young teenagers experiencing their first love. Their kisses were innocent. It's not that they lacked the lust that burned through their veins, but rather the courage to act upon it. They wanted the simplicity of their physical relationship to last. Therefore, Robert kept his arms around her and his hands on her back, not allowing them to wander. As much as she burned for it, Araidne refused to press her body into his; instead she savored the sweet taste of his lips.

"Sir, miss, we are here," the driver interrupted, unfazed by the couple's interactions. They pulled back slowly, breathlessly.

"Thank you," Robert nodded, turning back to the beautiful woman sitting beside him. "Close your eyes," he told her. She raised an eyebrow. "Just do it," he urged sweetly. With a sigh she complied, plunging herself into darkness, relying on his kind and gentle hands to lead her.

Though she was now blind, she relied on her other senses to tell her where she was going. She had walked into a building, no doubt about that. No light reddened her view from behind her eyelids, suggesting that no lights had been switched on. Odd… She heard the familiar ding of an elevator and suddenly wished she could open her eyes. She hated elevators, they made her feel nauseous, not being able to see wasn't going to help. However, to her surprise, she managed to focus on the pressure of Robert's hand in hers instead.

Finally they reached whatever floor he had brought her to. It was warm, airy. She could smell the familiar scents of fresh air, car exhaust, food, and that musty odor that accompanies a hot night. She concluded that she had to be outside.

"You brought me to a balcony?" She guessed.

"Well, not exactly, open your eyes," he chuckled. It took a moment for her to register where she was. She was atop of a building, on a helicopter pad, she guessed.

"We're so high up," Ariadne felt ashamed as she clung to Robert. She wasn't afraid of heights, or at least, usually wasn't. This, however, was a different story.

"Don't worry I won't let you fall. If it's any comfort I have no plans of looking over the edge," he promised. She loosened her hold on his arm a bit, but still wouldn't allow him to leave her side.

"I actually had hoped you would like to just lie down with me, you know, relax," he shrugged, gesturing to the two sleeping bags and a lantern that had been placed directly in the center of rooftop. Coming from any other man she would assume this to be an attempt to get into her pants, or dress in this case. She knew, though, that he would make no move unless he knew she was okay with it. Most of the time it proved to be a good thing. At other times she wished he would lose control.

"You just want to lie here?" She asked nearly in disbelief.

"I'm sorry, I should have asked before I brought you here, I just thought it would be nice. If you don't want to I can take you somewhere else, anywhere else," he looked upset.

"What? No, that's not what I meant. I guess I'm just not used to men wanting to enjoy such simple things. I would love to," She smiled. She rested herself atop one of the sleeping bags, allowing herself to relax. Robert removed his coat, leaving his partially unbuttoned white shirt which caught the light of the lantern, nearly making him glow. She watched in awe as his eyes lit up as well, the colour reminding her of ice. He settled down next to her, those gorgeous eyes fixed upon her face.

"Have I told you how beautiful you are?"

"Yes," she giggled lightly, "Several time actually,"

"Doesn't seem like I can say it enough," his voice was tender and sweet and it made her heart ache.

"I've never met anyone like you," Ariandne gently brushed her fingers against his cheek.

"Was that a compliment?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Perhaps," she teased.

"Well would you like to elaborate?"

"It's just, well; everything about you is practically perfect. You're gorgeous, you're sweet, you're romantic, and you're such a gentleman all the time. Most men would take me to dinner, and then try to take me to bed. You, however, took me here, just to enjoy the night. It's such a simple thing, but so enjoyable too," she suddenly felt embarrassed by her rambling and shut her mouth quickly.

"It's because I care about you, a lot. I know we've only known each other for two days, but I feel like I've known you for so much longer,"

Ariadne leaned over and lowered her mouth to his. Their heart rates immediately raced from the contact. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her on top of him. He could feel her heat burning through the thin fabric between him and her. He blushed deep red as his body reacted. She could feel it, thankful that her gender allowed her own body's reactions to remain hidden. Sensing his embarrassment Ariande wanted to assure him that she took it all as a compliment. She kept her lips soft against his, not wanting to fuel the fire that burned throughout her body, and softly ran her fingers through his hair. She trailed her lips down his neck until they were at the hollow of his throat. His skin was soft and tasted wonderful. Her hands flickered to his chest, suddenly realizing just how muscular his body really was. As if to prove the point he flexed his arms, squeezing her comfortably closer. There was something about his strong arms being wrapped around her both affectionately and protectively that nearly brought tears to her eyes.

**As you can see I still have not made up my mind. When I write a scene with her and Arthur I want her to be with him, the same goes for when I write a scene with Robert. As I've said before, I'm sure I'll decide eventually. Hope you enjoyed, please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Time for the next chapter! After writing this I think I may lean more towards Arthur. I adore Robert but due to their obvious chemistry in the actual movie, writing for Ariadne and Arthur is much easier. PLEASE REVIEW!**

'~*~'

Ariadne didn't get back to the hotel until nearly midnight. Because of the time she figured everyone would be in bed, and by everyone she was really thinking about Arthur. The last thing she needed was to have everything further complicated. She had just spent her night with Robert, gazing up at a cloudless sky wrapped in his arms, and she didn't want to focus on anything else. Of course, life couldn't be that simple. He was sitting outside her door, his head leaning against the wall, his eyes closed. In his hand sat one lone yellow rose, its petals slightly wilted from lack of water. How long had he been there?

"Arthur?" She kept her voice soft, knowing how terrible it felt to be jolted from sleep.

"Hmm? Ariadne?" His voice was thick from sleep and he had to blink a few times before his eyes could focus on her face.

"What are you doing out here?"

"I was waiting… For you," he admitted. He slowly stood, obviously still tired.

Yawning he asked: "What time is it?"

"Almost midnight,"

"Really?" His eyes flickered to his watch, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

"Why didn't you just go to bed?" She wondered.

"I wanted to apologize first, what I did and said yesterday, it was…. Inappropriate. I also got you this," he held out the yellow rose, looking ashamed by its sickly appearance. She took it, pinching it's stem delicately between her fingertips and pressing the petals to her nose. Inhaling deeply she breathed in its sweet scent.

"You don't need to apologize," she said finally.

"Yes I do,"

"Why?"

"Because I should never have… You deserve to be happy and if you want to be with Robert I guess I respect that. I shouldn't have kissed you, I should have been much more polite and kept my hands to myself,"

"Please, Arthur, stop," she pressed a finger to his lips, stopping him from speaking again. "You aren't making things any easier, it would be much better if you didn't apologize,"

Confused he asked, "What do you mean?"

"Can't you just allow me to come back from a date and go to sleep without needing the PASIV? You make things so much more difficult!"

"The PASIV?"

"It doesn't matter,"

"What do you want me to do?" He asked with a heavy sigh. She thought for a moment… What did she want him to do?

"I want you to never have kissed me," she said finally.

"I told you I was sorry about that,"

"No, not last night. In the dream you kissed me, I wish you never had done that,"

"Why?" He wondered, still not understanding.

"Because if you hadn't I wouldn't have fallen in love with you," she blurted. _Love? Did I just say love? _Her eyes widened with fear, what had she done? Why was she so scared? Because deep down she knew it was true. She cursed herself for having said anything. His own eyes were wide, staring at her. She couldn't read his expression which made everything so much worse.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything," she shook her head, her voice cracking slightly.

"Ariadne I…"

"I've got to go bed," she pushed him aside and fumbled with her key card, trying to fit it in the slot but missing each time. A steady warm hand caught hers.

"Let me help," Arthur sighed, still holding her hand he used his other to take the key from her and open the door. Her foot rested by the door, propping it open. However, she did not enter. She was completely engrossed with the feeling of Arthur's hand gently cupping hers. Shivers threatened to ripple through her body but she quickly shook them away.

"You can let go now," she whispered, unable to withdraw her hand.

"I know I can, but I don't want to," he admitted in a low tone that made a blush crawl to her cheeks. "Did you mean it when you said you loved me?"

"Arthur please I,"

"I just want to know if you meant it," he cut her off. She sucked in a sharp breath, knowing that lying would be stupid and pointless.

"Yes," her eyes fell to the floor.

"I… I love you too,"

"What?"

"I know you heard me," he gave a crooked smile.

With a nervous laugh I said, "I know, but I want to hear you say it again,"

"I love you," and with those three words thoughts of her earlier date melted away. All that mattered was Arthur. She lifted herself on her toes to meet her lips with his. He stood there for a moment, shocked by the sudden contact, but soon her melted into the kiss. He kept it light, innocent, and tender even though inside he was burning. She too felt as though someone had set flame to her body. Unable to resist she pressed her body into his, allowing her shape to fit the contour of him. It was strange, though. Although she wanted to be impossibly closer to him, she did not want anything more than what they had at that moment. It didn't matter whether or not they had sex, she honestly didn't want to. Her body did, of course, but her mind didn't. Instead she just wanted to wrap her arms around him, pepper his face with kisses, and then fall asleep by his side.

"Come on," she pulled him inside her room and quietly shut the door. Her eyes met his and she could see that his intentions were as innocent as hers. He wasn't planning on sex, he too just wanted to be closer.

"You're gorgeous, I know I never tell you that, but it's true," Arthur smiled.

"Well, for the record," she stepped towards him, "You aren't so bad yourself," and with that they resumed their kiss.

**Thank you for reading and thank you to those who have graciously review my chapters. I hope to hear more from you all in the review section and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Next Chapter! Please enjoy and REVIEW!**

'~*~'

Robert Fischer awoke in a cold sweat. The dream had been so real, but at the same time he had known it was a dream. There was something familiar about it, as if he had had this dream before. Oddly enough, he had been joined by Ariadne and… What was his name? Arthur? Yes, Arthur. They were both there, along with a few unrecognizable men, his father, and his godfather. Everything was so vivid. There had been a hotel, a snow fort, he had been kidnapped, it was as though he had been having multiple dreams all at once.

"Damn," he cursed under his breath, running his finger through his disheveled hair. He couldn't shake the gnawing feeling from his stomach. The dream had been so unsettling.

He stumbled to the bathroom and splashed water on his face. Glancing in the mirror he saw that he looked like shit. Dark circles encompassed his eyes and his lips were turned into a frown. It was all because of the dream. "Just a dream," he muttered to himself, feeling stupid for letting himself assume it was so much more. Though, no matter how many times he said it, it didn't convince him that it didn't mean something. His fingers gripped the counter, supporting him. In the dream he had felt the danger, the fear, and the pain. Some details remained a bit hazy, but he definitely remembered Araidne. She was there, and she had protected him. He fished out his cell phone and without thinking dialed her number. To his utter surprise she picked up on the third ring.

"Hello?" Her voice was alert and absent of sleep. Why was she still up?

"It's Robert," he spoke.

"Robert?" She couldn't hide her surprise.

"I…" He trailed off, realizing how ridiculous it would sound to tell her that the reason he had called her at three in the morning was because of a stupid dream.

"What's wrong?" She demanded. Should he tell her?

"I… I'm sorry if I woke you. I just woke up and, God I feel like an idiot, I had a dream about you," he explained, embarrassed.

"What type of dream?" Her tone was purely concerned, no humor, very little curiosity, just concerned.

"I don't know, an intense one I suppose. Arthur was there too. I'm sorry, I feel so stupid for calling you about this,"

"It's fine, tell me more,"

"Really?"

"Yes," for a brief moment he heard a quiver in her voice. She sounded almost frightened.

"I can't remember all of it now, but I remember being kidnapped with my godfather. The people who kidnapped us were wearing masks, I couldn't see their faces, and I don't remember what they wanted. Then there was this hotel and a man with blonde hair, and next thing I knew I was in a snow fort. I think… I think I got shot. There was a woman, she shot me. Then I woke up, that's all I remember, but it was all so vivid at the time," he knew he was rambling but at that point he didn't care. He waited for a response but all he heard were faint murmurs in the background.

"Ariadne?"

"Sorry I was… Anyway. It was just a dream so I wouldn't worry about it," she reassured him, though there was still something in her tone that made him uneasy.

"I know, I feel like an idiot for calling, I'm so sorry. I should go back to bed. Forget this call ever happened," With that he hung up. Little did he know that she would _never _forget that that call had happened.

"Arthur?" She looked at him with a panicked expression, tossing her phone onto the bed.

"No need to freak out yet. He is beginning to remember, but that doesn't mean this isn't fixable. He doesn't remember limbo and he certainly doesn't know about the inception. For now we are safe, but in order to make sure everything sticks we are going to have to enter his subconscious again," Arthur informed her. Araidne swallowed, but not out of dread. Deep down she was suddenly excited. Being in the dreams were quite addictive and the thought of another mission sounded like it would satisfy her sudden craving.

"Looks like I'll be making a phone call tomorrow," she sighed. Arthur's brow furrowed slightly.

"Call?"

"You and I both know it won't work with just the two of us,"

"Well who are you going to call?"

"You called Eames?" Arthur complained a bit, stepping aside to allow Eames to come inside herroom.

"Nice to see you too," He teased.

"Who else was I going to call?" She pointed out. Arthur let out a long breath, knowing she was right.

"So, I'll take it we are in a bit of trouble?" Eames asked, flipping a red poker chip in the air and catching it like a coin.

"Is that your totem?" Araidne asked, suddenly curious. She had never had the chance to see his totem and it just occurred to her that if it was going to be anything, it would probably related to gambling.

With his eyes still fixed on the chip he said, "Yep. Now mind explaining to me what exactly the situation is?"

"Remember when I mentioned Robert a couple of days ago?"

"Wait, you were here two days ago?" Arthur interjected.

"Does that surprise you?" Eames raised an eyebrow.

"Can we talk about this later? As I was saying, Robert began to remember me and to be perfectly blunt, almost the entire mission is coming back to him. He can't remember limbo or the actual planting of the idea, but he remembers the rest. Arthur suggested we reenter his subconscious and do some damage control," she explained, turning towards Arthur, waiting for him to elaborate.

"The plan is to change the ending to his dream. If he remembers the actual ending the whole inception will be broken and wasted. Araidne said that his dream ended when Mal shot him. If we take it from there, we can hopefully have him wake up and think that however we decided to end it is the actual conclusion of his dream,"

"And what do you need me for?" Eames wondered.

"We need someone to be Mal," she smirked slightly at the thought.

"Now we can't have him die, that will just wake him up. When you shoot him aim for the shoulder," Arthur instructed. Ariadne couldn't help but wince a bit. Although she understood the importance of what they were doing, she still hated the thought of seeing him in pain. She knew that she would have to be the one to "save him", meaning she would have to witness first-hand all his pain. She bit her bottom lip to keep herself from objecting to the idea. _It's for the best, he won't actually be hurt, everything will be fine, _she thought to herself.

"And how, might I ask, do you plan to do this? Sneak into his room at night?"

"Well," Arthur suddenly winced slightly, turning to Ariadne, "I had thought that perhaps you could get him here and have him spend the night,"

"You mean get him in bed?" She raised her eyebrows.

"I don't mean have sex with him, but yes,"

"You sure that won't make you too jealous, Arthur?" Eames' mouth opened into a smile. She suddenly had the urge to punch him but kept her fists clenched at her side.

"What are you talking about," Arthur's mouth went dry.

"Do you both honestly think that none of us noticed the tension between you two? I mean, come on. Why is it that everyone else can see it except for you guys? It's actually quite amusing. You both get so embarrassed about it,"

"Shut up Eames," he frowned.

"Did I offend you?" Eames asked.

"Can we just focus? How Arthur feels isn't important right now," Ariadne cut in before Arthur could say anything else. Both men averted their eyes towards her and sighed. "Now you want me to get him here without having sex with him? I'm not going to lie, it's not going to be easy, he is a guy after all,"

"Do what you need to do," Eames hinted. She knew he meant that if she needed have sex then she should just do it. However, she had no intentions of doing so.

"Fine," she sighed. "I can have him here tomorrow night,"

**Not a romantic chapter, I know. I wanted to move the plot along. Anyway, please review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry it's been so long! School has been a bitch! I will try to update more often but it may be a while. Hope you like this chapter. It's short, not much, but it's more of a bridge, if you will, to the next chapter. Sorry it isn't as good as I **

'~*~'

Ariadne was uneasy and very conflicted. She was uneasy due to her new task, and conflicted due to her troubled heart. Was it possible to fall in love with two men at the same time? If not then she was screwed. Part of her wanted nothing more than to lie under the stars with Robert forever, while another part of her wanted to be wrapped in Arthur's arms and have him never let her go. What was she to do?

"You there?" Eames waved a hand in front of her face.

"Huh? Yeah," she yawned, "Why couldn't we talk about this later? Like after I sleep?"

"Because, you know better than anyone what happened that night, what Mal did, I need to know what I'm doing,"

"I've already told you at least five times," she groaned.

"Fine, fine," he raised his hands defensively.

"So I can sleep?"

"If that is what you want," he shrugged, then with a smile he added, "As long as you don't mind if I hang out here until you wake up,"

"And why on earth would I let you do that?"

"I don't know," he chuckled, "Don't worry, I know your Arthur's play thing, not mine,"

"I'm nobody's play thing," she growled.

"Whatever you say. I'll sleep in the bathtub if you want. I could use a little sleep too. Of course, you may want to set some sort of alarm because it's already six in the morning and we wouldn't want you sleeping the day away now would we?" He smirked.

"Fine," she threw a pillow and a few extra blankets at him, not bothering to ask why he didn't just go back to his own hotel. With him now in the bathroom she could relax and settle into sleep.

Arthur was tired, but he couldn't sleep, not with everything happening. He wasn't personally pleased with the decision he made, asking Araidne to bring Robert to her room and convince him to spend the night. However, he could think of no other way to ensure that their mission went as planned. He sighed settling back into his bed, thinking about her.

He had worked with Cobb many years, he had never been jealous of him ever. That is, until Araidne came around. Admittedly, he had suspected a romantic affair between the two, disregarding the age difference and Cobb's unbreakable attachment to Mal. From the moment he saw her he wanted her. At first it was mostly a sexual attraction, finding her to be beautiful and alluring. As he grew to know her, however, he fell in love with her. It amazed him that one simple emotion could make him think irrationally, thus the suspected relationship between his student and his best friend. He was relieved when he learned this all to be false, but the relief was short lived as Robert began to come into the picture.

"She wasn't supposed to fall for him!" He yelled aloud without realizing it. He slammed his fist against the bed and felt an overwhelming pain in his chest. It wasn't fair! One moment he was sure she loved him that she returned his feelings, the next she was hand in hand with a man he could never compete with. To make matters worse, whenever around her he had to act calmly, sanely, and maturely. He wanted to lose control, to show her how much he cared for her, but wouldn't allow himself. Rather anger with his own emotions he decided he would sleep, and he would be sure that he dreamt of something pleasant.

"Shit," Ariadne cursed, realizing that Arthur still had her phone. He had taken it to write down Robert's number and apparently never gave it back. She would have waited until morning, but she feared that if he was still awake he might get bored and decide to look through her texts, including the ones from Robert. However, there was a problem. She didn't have a key anymore. She had somehow managed to lose the one she had obtained earlier. She thought a moment, trying to think of how to get into his room. Suddenly an idea popped into her head.

Ten minutes later she was standing in front of Arthur's door, holding a key card in her hand. A smile of satisfaction and amusement crossed her face as she recalled the lie she had just told. It was quite easy to convince the woman, the blonde one, at the front desk that she was his wife. The woman had frowned, obviously still unhappy about the fact that Arthur was 'taken', and Ariadne had to fight from laughing.

She slid the key into the slot and opened the door quietly. To her relief he was asleep instead of snooping through her messages. She spotted her phone sitting on the corner of one of the bedside tables and as she reached to grab it she stopped. Arthur was hooked up to the PASIV, and his sleeping form was smiling.

"Nope, don't do it again, you pissed Cobb off last time," she reminded herself. A nagging curiosity began to gnaw at her. What was he dreaming about? She clenched her teeth, wishing so badly that she hadn't been born with such a strong curiosity. "Dammit!" She almost yelled, glad that it had come out as more of a whisper. Giving into her need to know everything, she plopped down on the floor, resting her head against the bed. She stuck the IV in her arm and delved into Arthur's dream.


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry for waiting so long to update! I have quite a few "in progress" fanfictions and I basically forgot about this one! Plus, school has been hell. I'll try to update more when I have time. I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

The scene was breathtaking. She was back in Paris sitting atop the Eiffel Tower. Lights twinkled above and below her. The entire city was nearly silent yet, as she gazed downward, she could see the flurry of activity below. The silence that engulfed her was comforting, making the entire thing beyond incredibly beautiful and surreal.

"I'm sorry," a soft whisper sounded behind her. She whipped around to see Arthur. She thought, for a terrifying second, that she had been caught. However, she realized that he was not speaking to her, but to a woman beside him.

"Sorry? For what?" The woman wondered. Ariadne squinted her eyes, trying to see the face of Arthur's company, but the shadows were too heavy to reveal any features.

"For never telling you how much I love you, for allowing you to escape into the arms of another man," he sighed sadly.

"Oh Arthur," she cupped his chin gently and brought his face close to hers, "I've always loved you," suddenly they were kissing. Ariadne could not help but feel like she had been sucked into a cheesy movie. Who knew Arthur was so into romance? The question still remained, who was the woman he was with? A pang of jealousy shot through her and their kiss deepened. She had been under the impression that he cared for her… Had she been wrong?

"I love you too," Arthur murmured. He moved the woman ever so slightly to the left, allowing the light to illuminate her face. She gasped as she recognized who it was. It was her.

"Ariadne?" Arthur's eyes widened as his eyes snapped to her. He had heard her gasp. Ariadne's heart froze and her breath caught in her throat. She shouldn't have stuck her nose where she didn't belong. Now she was in a predicament that she realized would not be easy to get out of.

"Yes?" The projection responded sweetly. He ignored her.

"I… Arthur I…" She stuttered.

"What are you doing here?"

"My phone was in your room and I… I'm sorry,"

"Why would you do that?" His voice cracked slightly, he sounded more afraid than angry.

"What's going on? Who is she?" The projection demanded with confusion. Both ignored her.

"I was curious. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have… Why though?" Ariadne asked.

"What I dream is my business. Why couldn't you just leave me alone?"

"I already said that I was sorry, what more do you want from me?" She snapped. She had not meant to sound so cold or angry, but it was her defense against his hurt, confused, embarrassed, terrified, and slightly angry stare.

"What do I want? I want you to never have come into my dream without my permission! You need to keep your nose out of other people's business! You had no right…" He muttered.

"I do have a right when certain people are dreaming about me," she retorted.

"I fail to see how that makes it okay for you to be here,"

"Well I fail to see how it is okay, or appropriate, for you to be having this sort of dream without my permission or knowledge,"

He let out a long sigh, "Ariadne… By now you should know how I feel. None of this should be all that shocking. My dreams are where I can live out my deepest wishes. If I wanted you to know about this, I would have told you. But I didn't tell you, therefore you shouldn't have come here uninvited. I honestly do not know what to say,"

"Arthur I… I love you," she choked out. His eyes met hers and she found pain.

"My love, who is she?" One again the projection of Ariadne tried to grab his attention. He looked down at her and suddenly was ashamed of himself. She was correct, he had no right dreaming about her in such inappropriate circumstances.

"I love you, but I know you did not mean what you just said," he turned back towards the real Ariadne, whose brow was furrowed.

"What makes you think that?"

"Robert," was all he said. She felt a pain in her chest stab as his name was mentioned. She hated this, not knowing which she loved more. Undoubtedly, Arthur believed her feelings for him were less than her feelings for Robert. Little did he know that, because of them both, she was being faced with the most painful choice of her life. She wanted both, but she knew she couldn't have them.

"I do love you Arthur," she admitted, "But I love him too. I don't know what to do,"

"You have to pick, you can't have us both," he pointed out.

"I know, I know, but I just don't who I love more. I wish I did, you have no idea how much I wish I did. I do not want to hurt anymore, I want to be happy. However, it feels like my soul is being torn in half. One half wishes to follow you, the other wants Robert. I don't know how to choose,"

"What's going on? Arthur, I thought you loved me, you said you did," The projection complained. Ariande suddenly had the urge to push her off the Eiffle Tower. Arthur may have been able to capture her appearance almost perfectly, he had obviously had created his own personality. Is this how he wanted her?

"Why do you dream of me like that?"She wondered. He cringed slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't act like that at all,"

"I know you don't, and I don't want you to," he bowed his head.

"Then why dream me this way?"

He shifted his weight uncomfortably, obviously not wanting to answer the question, but he knew he had no real choice, "Because if I don't I will forget it's a dream, I will want it to become my reality. I can't end up like Cobb…" he trailed off.

"So you created her," she nodded towards the projection beside him, "Because if you created someone exactly like me you would want to stay in your dream?" He nodded ashamedly. "Why would you do that when you can have the real thing?" Holy shit where did that come from? She screamed in her mind.

"Because I can't have you, Ariadne. Until you make a decision, until you choose, I can't do this anymore. I love you, I've said so many times, but you don't belong to me. I'm sorry," she could see small tears forming in his eyes.

"I don't belong to anyone,"

"That is because you have not yet made a choice," he pointed out. She knew this to be true. The only reason why she was not officially in a relationship was because her heart was split in two. Pain stabbed her chest. Life had been so much simpler before she had met Cobb and the whole team. Not that she regretted joining them, but she had been content with her uneventful simple life. Now she was being plunged into a situation that was causing her emotional agony.

"Well this decision isn't being made easier. Especially now that I'm here… And especially since I'm supposed to spend the night with Robert. I don't know what to do," she hadn't realized that she had started crying until she felt the wetness of tears on her cheeks.

Arthur's expression softened and he spoke with increased tenderness, "I know, neither of us have made this easier on you. I apologize for that, I really do. I just want you to be happy and I can see that I'm causing you pain. That's why I am here, in this dream, because I can't bear to be the source of your pain in reality anymore,"

"Arthur, oh Arthur please speak to me. What is going on? Do you not love me anymore?" The copy of Ariadne whined. Though she was annoying, the Architect and the Point Man both managed to keep their attention focuses on each other. Their words expressed their pain, but their eyes expressed their love. Ariadne wanted nothing more than to collapse in his arms, kiss him, and then cry.

"I… Fuck," she cursed. It was all she could say that expressed how she felt before she burst into tears. Arthur stood there, stunned. He had never heard her use fowl language, and for some reason it shocked him. After he recovered he felt an undeniable need to comfort her. In just three long strides he was embracing her. He protectively wrapped her into his body and held her while she sobbed.

"What are you doing?" The projection screamed. He immediately regretted having made his love into such an annoying woman. Regrettably leaving Ariadne for a few short moments, he grabbed the fake girl by the front of her dress and dragged her towards the edge of the Eiffel Tower. She did not struggle much, she seemed much more confused than anything. With no sympathy or worry he tossed her easily over the edge. The screaming was short and faded quickly. Finally free of the nuisance he resumed his hold on Ariadne, rocking her back and forth softly while she cried.

**I know it seems out of character for Arthur to kill the copy or Ariadne so heartlessly, but having the real Ariadne there would realistically detach him from the copy right? Oh well. Anyway, review please! The more reviews I receive, the higher on the list of priorities this goes. So if I get a lot I will update faster. Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading!**


	12. Chapter 12

'~*~'

"Thank you," Araidne sighed softly after her sobbing subsided.

"For what?" Arthur wondered, his lips buried in her hair.

"For not hating me,"

"Why would I hate you?"

"For putting you through all this. It isn't really fair to you or Robert. Arthur… I think I need some time. I should not be doing to either one of you so I need time to think. Right now, let's focus on the job okay?" She lifted her chin to look directly into his warm brown eyes.

"Ariadne…" He trailed off. Part of him was pleased by her mature decision, another part, the selfish part, didn't want space from her. He liked having her close to him. He opened his mouth once more to give a false praise for making the right choice when suddenly he felt himself being pulled from the dream. Next thing he knew he was awake, and on the floor?

"Wha- Eames?" He blinked at the intrusion of light.

"How did you get in here?" Ariadne wondered.

"Found one of your many extra keys, love," he smiled, waving the card she had lost. Did she really lose it? Or had Eames taken it…

"What do you want?" Arthur demanded.

"I figured she," he nodded towards the disheveled girl still on the floor, "Would want to freshen up a bit before meeting up with the very well dressed gent sitting in the lobby," Ariadne was wide awake and alert now.

"It's so early though!" She complained, climbing to her feet and running her fingers through her hair tiredly.

"Yes well, he doesn't look good so I suggest you get down there. After, however, you brush your hair,"

"Huh?" She glanced in the mirror and groaned. Arthur watched her grab one of his combs and attempt to tame the nest that sat atop her head.

"You look beautiful and I rather doubt he will look much better at this hour," Arthur reassured her. Her gaze met his and a small smile tugged on her lips.

"Okay, I guess I shouldn't keep him waiting, see you both later," she sighed, giving the Point Man one last smile before disappearing out the door.

"I heard dreams are basically the ultimate birth control," Eames winked. Arthur reached out and punched him in the arm. Eames winced slightly but his teasing grin did not falter. "Accompany me to breakfast?" He asked.

"Fine," he agreed, too tired to argue.

'~*~'

Arthur was right, Robert looked no better than Ariadne did. In fact, he looked quite a bit worse. He was wearing a simply white oxford with the top three buttons undone and jeans. She did not even know he owned someone as casual as jeans. His hair was a mess and under his eyes were dark rings. Robert's complexion was that of a ghost.

"Ariadne," he breathed when she came into sight. Without warning he rushed at her and wrapped his arms around her small frame.

"What's wrong?"

"The dream… I had it again. Right after I called you I went to bed and had it again. Oh God Ariadne it felt so real," she noticed the hoarseness of his voice and suddenly felt awful. His current state was her fault. She helped create the dream that was now tormenting his thoughts.

"Come on, let's sit," she suggested. They both settled down on the large couch in the lobby, Robert's hand clasping hers.

"I'm sorry, I feel silly for coming down here and bugging you so early, but I had the dream again and I just… I can't explain it," he shook his head.

"Tell me about it,"

"The beginning is hazy, but I was kidnapped. That's all I remember from the beginning, and then suddenly I was in this beautiful hotel. I was having a drink when this man with blonde hair approached me. I do not remember what he said but it seemed important at the time. The part I remembered most was being at this snow fort sort of place. It was really cold, and you and Arthur were there. We were trying to get somewhere, I don't remember where. We were in a hurry because people were attacking us," his brow furrowed as he explained.

"Then what?"

"Then a woman appeared and… She shot me… I could feel the pain. I thought you weren't supposed to feel pain in your dream. I was dying. You were there, trying to help. I woke up after that. I feel like something is missing though, as if I have had this dream before and that there was so much more to it. I guess it doesn't matter," he sighed apologetically.

"Of course it matters. Dreams are more important and more powerful than people want to think they are. A nightmare can mentally scar someone for years. No matter how silly it sounds, when you are living a dream it's much different. You have every right to be shaken up," she placed her hand over his, giving him a reassuring smile.

"I just… I feel like I had the dream before I met you, actually I'm sure of it. How is that possible?" He asked.

Her teeth grazed her lower lips as she searched for an answer. What could she say? His eyes scanned her face for an explanation, one he obviously desperately needed. She knew the effects a dream could have and she knew his was much worse than most. He was been shot, that was no lie. His life had been in danger, or, at least his mind was.

"Would you… Would you like to stay the night with me? You know, to try to keep the nightmare away?" She prayed internally that he would take this as a pure comforting gesture rather than a sexual offer. The light in his eyes at the moment put her worries to rest.

"Yes, actually, thank you," he gave a small smile.

"Okay, good. For now, let's grab some breakfast," she gave his hand a squeeze.

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, put my story in their favorites, and put my story on alert. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, the next one will be more about Ariadne and Robert. Please review!**


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